


Love Hoard

by VampirePaladin



Category: Persona 4
Genre: F/F, Fairy Tale Elements, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-09
Updated: 2013-08-09
Packaged: 2017-12-22 21:47:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/918404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampirePaladin/pseuds/VampirePaladin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yukiko is a princess who never confessed her love to her beloved knight.  Soon it will be too late as Chie leaves to pursue her dream of becoming a police officer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love Hoard

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Star of Heaven (rubylily)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubylily/gifts).



_Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess that loved a valiant knight. This princess did not dare to speak words of love to the knight. She feared that her love would not be returned. The princess had at first depended on the knight for protection and rescue, but a future queen had to learn to be her own hero. And so she did learn, but now that she no longer needed the knight to protect her, the knight began preparations to leave her kingdom._

Chie ran to the Amagi Inn. She knew that is where Yukiko would be. She burst through the back door, bringing the fresh air with her. She smiled and said passing hellos to the staff of the inn. Without being prompted they would tell her where the last place they had seen Yukiko was.

Chie found her in the kitchen, practicing her cooking. The food did not smell bad, which was a good thing. It also did not smell particularly good. Chie walked up to Yukiko. She turned her head, black hair in a ponytail swishing.

“Chie, did you want to try my newest stew?”

“Sorry, Yukiko, I can’t stay that long. I have to tell everyone else the good news.”

“What good news? And you could have called or texted everyone. You don’t need to do it in person.”

“Not this type of good news. I want to tell everyone in person, well except for Yu.” 

Yukiko nodded. Yu came back as often as he could, but right now he was living with his parents. “So what is the good news?”

“I am going to the National Police Academy!” It had taken Chie many hours of study to prepare for the National Public Service exam. She had passed and then applied for the cadet course at the National Police Academy.

Yukiko turned away from the stove completely. She made a show of wiping her hands off on her apron, but really she was griping onto the floral cloth tightly. “I’m so happy for you, Chie. How long will you be gone?”

“Well, the training will last sixth months and then I don’t know what will happen next.”

“That is so amazing. You worked so hard for it.” Yukiko was forcing herself to look Chie in the eyes and smile.

“Well, I gotta go. I want to catch Rise and Kanji before the shops close.” Chie waved a goodbye before she was out the door.

The stew began to take on an aroma not too far from battery acid.

_The knight had announced her plan to leave in search of new people to help. A great feast was held in honor of the knight’s departing. Everyone was there. The jester, the bard, the tailor and the beast worked hard to decorate a room in the princess' castle for it. The sheriff and the wanderer returned to the kingdom for the feast. Everyone was joyous and happy. Well, everyone except the princess who hid her frowns behind elegant fans and practiced smiles._

“Chie! Chie, where are you?” Yukiko called out as she ducked under the swing of the shadow.

She brought her fan up and struck it repeatedly. It staggered back and into the attack from Rokuten Maoh. Kanji yelled something to his Persona as it tore the shadow in half.

“We are getting closer, but I still can’t see exactly where she is,” Rise said. Her voice was echoed in their heads by her Persona’s ability.

This was not supposed to be happening. They were supposed to be seeing Chie off today. When they could not find her anywhere it had been Teddie that thought of checking inside the TVs. While they had not found her, he had caught her scent and Rise confirmed that she was here with Kanzeon.

_The princess’ beloved knight had gone missing. She personally led the expedition into dangerous lands to search for the knight. They fought through wave after wave of monsters. They found themselves soon at the door of a familiar castle. It was the very same castle that the princess herself had once been held captive in._

“We need to be careful. I am picking up a very powerful shadow inside.”

“But Chie is in there, isn’t she?” Yukiko said. Her eyes were locked on the castle.

“My nose is a-bear-solutely sure Chie went this way,” Teddie said.

“Let’s go,” Yosuke said.

Yukiko led the way through the gates. She was followed by Kanji, Rise, Yosuke, Teddie and the fox. Naoto had been out of town on a case. 

It was painful for Yukiko to go through these halls once again. She ignored her discomfort and made herself keep going. The fires of her Persona burned all who stood before her to a crisp. She only spared glances for side rooms. Yukiko knew exactly where Chie was. She was not sure how she knew. It felt almost like an echo of a hunch reverberating in her heart.

_The princess walked up the stairs, looking neither left nor right. The monsters that did not fall by her hand fell to her friends. Floor after floor, she kept going up. They led her until she had come to the top floor of the castle. A heavy door was before her. She did not hesitate to open the door._

There was Chie. She was unconscious and on the floor. Wounds littered her body. They were already partially healed from magic. Chie was far back in the room. She was right next to the throne.

In between them was a large shadow. It swerved its head to look at the intruders with its red eyes. Its body was vaguely lizard shaped, but with feathers instead of scales. Small flames danced out of its snout every time it breathed. It turned its body completely.

“The knight is mine!” the shadow that looked like a dragon yelled.

 

Chie had been stressed when she had entered the TV. She just wanted to blow off some steam with some easy shadows before she left. There was already someone waiting for her inside the TV.

“Yukiko? What are you doing here?” 

“Chie, I was waiting for you,” Yukiko smiled and said. She took Chie’s hand in her own. Yukiko was wearing red. Chie always thought she looked best in red. Yukiko began pulling Chie to the castle.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Someplace where we can be together forever.” Flames escaped Yukiko’s lips. No, it was not Yukiko. It was a shadow reawakened by a love denied.

 

The battle was not going well. The dragon shadow shrugged off their worst attacks and ate all of Yukiko’s fire spells. When they did chip away at it the dragon used its healing magic. If it would just move so they could rescue Chie then they would have happily run away with their friend. The dragon would not take any bait. It stayed firmly between them and Chie. When one of them tried to sneak around it the shadow would knock them back with its tail.

Yukiko was doen on her knees. She was just so exhausted and in so much pain. She was protected from the fire magic but the shadow’s physical attacks hit hard. She locked her eyes on Chie’s body. The shadow must have attacked her. But her wounds were partially healed. Chie’s Persona did not even have the lowest levels of healing magic. 

Chie, don’t go. I want you to stay here with me.

“The knight will never leave. She will stay here with me.” The shadow punctuated her screams with swipes at Yosuke and Teddie.

Yukiko held out the card for her Persona. On one side was an image of Amaterasu. Normally she only had the card out long enough to summon and did not bother to look at it closely. When she held it out she could barely make out the outlines of pillars and people on the other side.

Yukiko forced herself back up to her feet.

_For the first time the princess cried out her words of love to the knight. When she screamed the dragon screamed the same words back in perfect harmony with her own. The princess ran toward her love and the dragon ran toward her love. When they reached the fallen knight the dragon and the princess became one in a blinding flash of light. The knight awoke in the arms of the princess. They confessed their love while in each other’s embrace._

_And then the knight left on her journey. But, do not fear, their parting would not be forever. One day the knight will return to one who is no longer a princess, but a queen. Then the knight will swear her love and loyalty to her. Together they will protect the kingdom.  
_


End file.
